Pelargonium plant named &#39;clips litsaltwo&#39;

ABSTRACT

A  Pelargonium  cultivar particularly distinguished by its light salmon flower color and dark green leaves is disclosed.

GENUS AND SPECIES

Pelargonium×hortorum L. H. Bailey

VARIETY DENOMINATION

‘Clips Litsaltwo’

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Pelargonium, botanically known as Pelargonium×hortorum L. H. Bailey, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Clips Litsaltwo’. The new cultivar was propagated from a seedling resulting from the cross of 7886-1, a red-flowered, unnamed and unpatented proprietary Pelargonium line and ‘Champion’, an orange-flowered Pelargonium.

The new cultivar was created in 1998 in Gilroy, Calif. and has been asexually reproduced repeatedly by cuttings in Gilroy, Calif. over a five-year period. It has also been trialed at Gilroy, Calif., Litchfield, Mich., and Andijk, The Netherlands. It has been found to retain its distinctive characteristics through successive asexual propagations.

DESCRIPTION OF PHOTOGRAPH

This new geranium plant is illustrated by the accompanying photograph which shows blooms, buds, and foliage of the plant; the colors shown are as true as can be reasonably obtained by conventional photographic procedures. The photograph is of a 4-5 months-old plant grown in a lexan-covered greenhouse with normal zonal pelargonium culture.

FIG. 1. shows overall plant habit while the inset photograph show a closer view of the mature inflorescence.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW CULTIVAR

The following detailed descriptions set forth the distinctive characteristics of ‘Clips Litsaltwo’. The data which defines these characteristics were collected from asexual reproductions carried out in Gilroy, Calif. The plant history was taken on seven-month-old plants grown in 1 gallon pots in a poly-covered greenhouse during the fall/winter season. The color readings were taken under natural light in the greenhouse in the late winter season. Color references are primarily to the RHS Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society of London (RHS) (2001). Texture description data were collected by viewing plant parts with a dissecting microscope.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

-   Classification:     -   -   Botanical.—Pelargonium×hortorum L. H. Bailey.         -   Common name.—Geranium. -   Growth:     -   -   Form.—Upright, outwardly spreading and rounded growth habit.         -   Growth and branching habit.—Good vigorous habit, well             branched.         -   Height.—20-25 cm as measured from soil level to top of             plant, excluding blooms; 30-40 cm from soil level to top of             umbels.         -   Width.—50-55 cm excluding umbels.         -   Time to produce a finished flowering plant.—8-10 weeks.         -   Outdoor plant performance.—Has good weather tolerance; used             in hanging baskets, patio or mixed containers.         -   Time to initiate and develop roots.—12-28 days.         -   Root description.—White, slightly pubescent, fibrous yet             coarse. -   Leaves:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple.         -   Apex description.—Acute.         -   Base description.—Cordate.         -   Shape.—Orbicular.         -   Margin.—Slightly denticulate.         -   Texture.—Pilose; few glandular hairs.         -   Venation.—Palmate.         -   Venation color.—RHS 144B.         -   Immature leaf.—Color: Upper surface: RHS 147A Lower surface:             RHS 147B Length: 3.4-4.0 cm Width: 5.5-6.5 cm.         -   Mature leaf.—Color: Upper surface: RHS 147A Lower surface:             RHS 147B Length: 4.0-4.5 cm Width: 7.5-7.9 cm.         -   Zonation color.—RHS 200A but lighter.         -   Zonation diameter.—1.0 cm.         -   Petioles.—Length: 4.0-5.0 cm Diameter: 0.3 cm Color: Between             RHS 144A and RHS 144B Texture: Hirsute; pilose; few             glandular hairs. -   Stems:     -   -   Length.—35-40 cm.         -   Internode length.—1.5-2.0 cm.         -   Color.—RHS 146A with some irregular blotches of anthocyanin             on upper surface.         -   Texture.—Pilose; many glandular hairs. -   Flower buds:     -   -   Diameter.—0.7-0.9 cm.         -   Length.—1.0 cm.         -   Shape.—Elliptical.         -   Color when sepals first divide: RHS 27B with very faint             blush of RHS 39B. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Type.—An umbel composed of 18-22 flowers.         -   Umbel diameter.—9.0-9.5 cm.         -   Umbel depth (height).—6.0-7.0 cm.         -   Blooming habit.—Continuous blooming throughout the growing             season; good floriferousness.         -   Peduncle.—Length: 12-16 cm Diameter: 0.4 cm Texture: Pilose;             many glandular hairs Color: RHS 144A with slight coloring of             anthocyanin in irregular blotches.         -   Pedicel.—Length: 0.8-1.0 cm Diameter: 0.1 cm Texture: Many             glandular hairs, some with an orange hue Color: RHS 144A             with anthocyanin in irregular blotches. -   Flowers:     -   -   Flower form.—Polypetalous; mostly imbricate petals and             petaloids, semi-double form consisting of 5 petals and 4             petaloids.         -   Flower diameter.—3.5-4.3 cm.         -   Flower persistence.—An open flower will hold its petals             until the flower begins to dehisce, 7-10 days.         -   Fragrance.—None. -   Petals/petaloids:     -   -   Petal size.—Length: 2.1-2.3 cm. Width: 2.1-2.3 cm.         -   Shape.—Obovate.         -   Apex.—Rounded.         -   Base.—Acute.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture.—Papillose.         -   Upper petal color.—Upper surface: RHS N155B but whiter,             blushed faintly with RHS 49A; vein color of RHS 52B Lower             surface: RHS 49A with faint streaks of RHS 43C.         -   Lower petal color.—Upper surface: RHS N155B but whiter;             blushed with 49A; faint veining of RHS 52B Lower surface:             RHS 49A with slight streaks of RHS 43C.         -   Upper petaloid color.—Upper surface: RHS N155B but whiter             with a blushing between RHS 49A and RHS 50C; faint veining             and streaking of RHS 52B.         -   Lower petaloid color.—Upper surface: RHS N155B but whiter,             with a blushing of RHS 49A and 50C; vein color of RHS 52B.         -   Color change with age.—Colors do not change with age but may             change with temperature and time of year. -   Sepals:     -   -   Number of sepals.—5, one larger than the others; fused at             base.         -   Length of sepals.—0.8-0.9 cm.         -   Width of sepals.—0.2-0.3 cm.         -   Shape.—Linear.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Texture.—Villous; many glandular hairs, some with an orange             hue.         -   Color.—RHS 144A. -   Reproductive organs:     -   -   Stamens.—4-6, sometimes fused to petaloids.         -   Filament color.—RHS 155B but whiter.         -   Pollen color.—RHS 22A.         -   Pollen amount.—Scant.         -   Pistil.—1.         -   Pistil length.—1.0 cm.         -   Stigma color.—RHS 58B.         -   Style color.—RHS N66A.         -   Style length.—0.8 cm.         -   Fruit set.—Not observed. -   Disease and insect resistance: Not observed.

COMPARISON WITH KNOWN CULTIVARS

When the instant plant is compared to the female parental cultivar 7886-1, ‘Clips Litsaltwo’ has greater vigor, a light salmon flower color, and darker green leaves than 7886-1. When ‘Clips Litsaltwo’ is compared to the male parental cultivar ‘Champion’, ‘Clips Litsaltwo’ has greater vigor, a light salmon flower color, and darker green leaves than ‘Champion’.

‘Clips Litsaltwo’ differs from the comparison variety, ‘Rocky Mountain Light Salmon’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,193) by having more petals, a larger flower and the flower bud color is creamy white, whereas the ‘Rocky Mountain Light Salmon’ flower bud is creamy white with some pink. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Pelargonium plant as shown and described herein. 